Cleaning out the attic was supposed to be a simple chore, but my husband erupted with fury when he realized I had discarded a worn-out jacket. This seemingly trivial clothing item revealed a hidden truth about his actions behind my back, leading to a shocking turn of events I could never have anticipated!
On a crisp autumn day, I decided it was finally time to clear out the attic. Over the years, it had become a dumping ground for everything from festive decorations to forgotten clothing that hadn’t seen daylight in years. I had intended to organize it for quite a while, but what I unearthed ultimately turned my long-term marriage upside down.
Like many things in life, cleaning the attic kept getting postponed. My husband, Jeff, had often remarked that most of the items up there were worthless. Just last year, he insisted that his old high school jacket, which was now lost among a mountain of boxes, should be tossed out.
With that thought in mind, I started sorting through the clutter, one item at a time. I came across a broken lamp, various school projects from our now-adult kids, and of course, Jeff’s old jacket. I barely gave it a second thought before tossing it into the discard pile.
The jacket was faded, ripped in several places, and had the distinct odor of being trapped in a musty attic for years. Not exactly something I felt attached to.
That night, we sat down to dinner, the kind of routine weekday meal where conversation was sparse. The aroma of roast chicken filled the air, but my husband, married to me for twenty years, was uncharacteristically silent.
After a few moments of silence, I decided to break the ice.
“I tackled the attic today,” I said casually, trying to keep things light. “I got rid of a bunch of old stuff.”
Jeff froze. His fork halted mid-air before he dropped it onto his plate with a loud clatter.
“What STUFF?” he demanded, his voice rising sharply, eyes wide as if I had just told him the house was burning down.
“Just some old things from the attic. What’s wrong?” I tried to maintain a light tone, but his expression shifted, raising my concern.
Without saying another word, he pushed his chair back so violently that it nearly toppled over and rushed upstairs. I remained behind, puzzled by his sudden urgency. I heard him rifling through boxes, mumbling to himself.
A moment later, he stormed back down, fists clenched at his sides.
“Where’s my high school jacket?” His voice was dangerously low, laced with an intensity I hadn’t encountered before. He looked ready to explode!
I blinked, trying to comprehend why he was so worked up.
“I probably tossed it,” I replied. “It was in the pile for the dump.”
The color drained from his face, and I could practically see the pulse throbbing in his temple!
“You THREW it out?” he growled, his voice shaking with barely suppressed rage. “I told you to toss out the junk, not that jacket!”
I stood there, stunned. “Jeff, you literally said that jacket was worthless… you said it should go to the dump!”
He let out a bitter laugh that sent a chill racing down my spine.
“Well, congratulations! The day I married you was a curse!”
His words felt like a punch to the gut! Before I could even say a word, he grabbed his car keys, stormed out of the house, and sped away.
For a brief moment, I was too shocked to react! But something urged me to follow him. Grabbing my purse, I jumped into my car and sped after him, my heart pounding. Where on earth could he be going in such a furious state?
When I saw him pull into the entrance of the local landfill, everything began to click into place!
The jacket. He was searching for that old jacket. But why? There had to be more to it than mere sentimentality. And what did he mean by marrying me being a “curse?”
But soon, I would discover what was in that jacket and why it would unravel our marriage…
I parked the car and quickly followed him, spotting Jeff in a state of chaos as he frantically searched through piles of garbage. I had never witnessed him in such a state—so agitated and untidy! My heart pounded as I got closer to him.
“Jeff, what on earth is happening? Why are you doing this?” I demanded, my voice trembling.
He stopped digging and turned to me, his face ashen.
“Because, Stacy,” he spat, “I was saving money. Fifty thousand dollars. For us… to buy a new house.”
I took a step back, trying to grasp what he was saying. Fifty thousand? Hidden in an old, tattered jacket?
But then his words echoed in my mind. “For US.” I found it hard to believe him. Something felt terribly off… very wrong.
“Why didn’t you tell me about this?”
“I didn’t think I needed to!” he snapped, resuming his frantic search. “I was going to surprise you. Now it’s all gone BECAUSE of you!”
At that moment, I had no idea what he was really hiding and that there was more to the money he claimed to have saved!
I went along with his story.
I observed him as he dug through heaps of garbage, his hands becoming grimy, and a knot formed in my stomach. I desperately wanted to trust him, but his story didn’t make sense. Yet, I couldn’t identify what felt off. That night, we never located the jacket. After hours of searching, Jeff finally collapsed in resignation.
He wouldn’t even glance my way.
We drove back in silence, each in our own vehicle. I sat quietly, pondering my husband’s behavior and words. A persistent unease told me that something was deeply amiss. As soon as we got home, Jeff headed straight to the bedroom without saying a word.
I sank into the couch, my eyes unfocused on the wall as my mind raced with thoughts. What was it about that jacket? Why was he acting so strangely? Could there really be money concealed in it?
An hour later, I heard my husband’s voice, low and murmuring, from the bedroom. I tiptoed to the door, leaning in to catch his words through the thin walls.
“I don’t have the money anymore,” Jeff said. “That useless woman tossed it out with the jacket!”
My breath hitched in my throat…
“No, I wasn’t saving it for me and her,” he continued. “It was for the house… for US, just like we planned.”
A chill ran through me. “Us?” He wasn’t talking about me—he meant someone else!
I flung the door open, unable to hold back my anger any longer!
“WHO are you speaking to, Jeff?”
His face paled as he turned to me, phone still in hand. “Stacy… I…”
“No,” I cut him off. “Who were you going to buy a house with?”
He remained silent, simply gaping at me, his mouth moving as if he were a fish struggling for breath.
But I didn’t need a response. I already understood. There was someone else. Someone who had been anticipating that fifty thousand dollars.
“I’m initiating the divorce,” I announced, my tone steady and calm. “The kids and everyone else will learn the truth about your real self. You referred to me as worthless in front of your mistress, Jeff…”
That was the only explanation that made sense now.
Jeff’s expression contorted with rage, but I didn’t stay to hear his justifications. I turned and walked away without looking back.
A month after the divorce, I returned to the attic, having kept the house in the settlement. The turmoil of the past weeks had kept me away, but I needed to dig out my old sewing machine for a project I was working on.
As I sifted through boxes, my hand brushed against something soft… something I recognized.
There, at the bottom of a box I had missed, lay Jeff’s old jacket.
I froze, pulling it out and staring at it in disbelief. I hadn’t actually thrown it away!
With trembling hands, I reached into the inner pocket, and there it was—the fifty thousand dollars, perfectly folded, just as he had hidden it!
But this time, I felt no urgency to inform anyone. There was no need to share. Jeff had made his decisions, and now I was making mine. I kept the money, my heart pounding at the possibilities it opened for my future.
This time, it was my secret to hold on to…
